Divine Leadership Part 11 Exodus 23:20; 1 Tim.3:3 "Patient"

Define Patient—Longsuffering (Long Nose)

a. Num.14:18 “The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”

b. The discipline to do nothing in the face of Something needs to be done. Church growth is a slow process. You can plant a seed at planting season but you can’t rush the growth process. People, Programs, Personalities, Positive Programs and Progress all take time to grow. Patience is about waiting for vision and reality to catch up with each other.

Ps.40:1 “I waited patiently for the Lord; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”

C. Allowing Yourself to be Pushed—Satan and Circumstances will try to provoke you to react to things and people. Patience is the discipline to allow the pushing. We say, “Don’t push me.” Scripture say, “Allow them to push (provoke).”

1 Cor.13:4,5 “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;”

Gal.5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”

Gentle—Shows your Christlikeness

Softness

Tenderness

Flexible

2 Cor. 10:1 (nature of Christ)

Makes others great 2 Sa. 22:36 ; Ps.18:35

Kind

His Spirit

His Conversation

Tolerant—Nature of God the Father

Forebearing

a. Peaceable as much as possible

b. graciousness

Exodus 34:5-7 “And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”